halal meat

 

Hi there. The meat used in most Fast Food chains in Muslim countries is Halal. That is a prerquisite for them operating. HOWEVER, there are so called 'Muslim' countries which have non-halal as well e.g Turkey etc. So you need to know which Country it is ur talking abt.

 

MOST muslim countries , Pakistan, UAE, Egypt, Malaysia etc all have Halal foodchains.

 

Thier meat either comes from local halal suppliers or is sometimes imported from Halal Slaughter-House/Suppliers in places like South Africa for example. The responsible thing to do, is simply to ask.

 

In SOME countries, Malaysia and Turkey for example . . . Pork, Non-Halal, Alchohol are legal due to the presence of non-muslim locals. In that case, one should look for the Halal label . . .or simply ask. If a store serves Pork . . . its safe to say its Non-Halal since they may be using the same utensils for cooking and may contaminate. Alcohol however is a debatable issue. Some say its ok to eat in a resturaunt serving alchohol, but halal meat. Others say its better to stay away on principle. Depends on person's taqwa and what point of view they take.

 

 

As for your question about the drugs and artificial feed for Chickens. . . I agree with u there ..its awful. Technically, it goes Islamic injunctions. . .bcz Chickens shd not be fed Feed that includes blood and dead-remains of other chickens, niether should they be kept in unsanitory, cruel conditions. That is Animal Cruelty - hence unislamic. . . UNFORTUNATLEY this is practised ALL over the world. Including Muslim countries. . . ideally we should not be eating that . . . but its impossible to escape it. Bcz unless ur willing to live without chicken for the rest of ur life, u hav to eat, cz no other option. Unfort, free-range and organic has yet to catch up in many muslim states bcz unfort we're turning to the western meat-producing ways.

 

The only way to avoid that is make our voices heard to the govt, or buy halal organic/free-range if ur country has that option.

 

Secondly, the McDonalds etc in USA do NOT serve Halal meat. So please refrain from eating meat there (which btw includes chicken. Some muslims think that only beef is considered halal/nonhalal) You have several options of non-meat dishes like Fillet-O-Fish, Veggie Burgers and what not. Just like someone mentioned here, not having a Big Mac will not kill you :p Unless ofcourse your resturaunt states, claims or says they have Halal.

 

There are basically 2 conditions for Halal meat, it needs to be slaughtered (i.e blood needs to flow out of animal) and the Kalima has to be pronounced (amongst other things, i.e money should be of halal means as well etc etc)

 

Someone mentioned that it is okay to eat the meat served by People Of the Book . . . would like to clarify furthur . . .  The verse was targetting the notion that ppl used to have that non-muslims were unclean etc and so thier food was not permissable. (and is reffering to Kosher probably) The verse is referring that it is perfectly fine to dine with people of the book  and eat thier food with them, even if it be in the same plate. As far as the meat is considered . .  .it is permissable to eat thier meat AS LONG AS IT IS ZABIHAH. (i.e as long as the animal was slaughtered and blood flowed out, becuase blood is unclean to ingest, and a haven for germs/bacteria)

 

If however, it is clear knowledge that the animal was not slaughetered, and was merely choked,suffocated etc to death then the meat is HARAM. The safest option would be to eat Kosher meat . .  i.e by the Jews. Because Jews also slaughter thier meat and have a proper slaughtering process for that. Kosher Meat is considered a second option. I.e if you do not have access to Halal Meat, you can have Kosher . . .eat it after pronouncing Allah's name. (bismillah) However . .  . better only to have it if u've been without Halal meat for long.

 

So to break it down.

 

1. If you dont find Halal meat . . . opt for vegetarian, or Fish or other seafood. If you have an alternative of Kosher (bcz it fulfills the slaughtering criteria, just not the kalima one), you can have that as well, after pronouncing Kalima.

 

2. Just pronouncing bismillah on ANY non-halal food does NOT make it halal and okay to eat. Especially since there are SO MANY options available to us.

 

3. If you are stranded, and reeeally hungry and do not have or will not have access to EITHER Kosher or Halal for sometime. Also, u do not have the option of fish, veggies, etc etc and ONLY meat is available. Then you can go ahead and have non-halal meat (but enough to pull u through). Non-Halal meat is preferable in such instances to Pork.

 

4. If all other options have failed, and u are trapped in a broom-closet for days on end without food and only Pork to eat. Then subhanallah, you can have Pork as well. but enough to help u survive. The reason I put that as a Joke is bcz unless we are going someplace isolated . . . we ALWAYS have alternatives to non-halal. In todays day and age. . . .

Asalamu Alaikum

 

There is a difference between halaal food, and zubiah food.  Zubiah is the slaughtering of the animal with islamic principles...

 

Halal meat includes the ahl al-kitab... meaning the meat of the jews and christians.

 

It is prefered that you eat zubiah food if you can get your hands on it.  But many sheikhs have issued fatwas allowing people living in non-muslim countries to eat meat of the people of the scriptures.